Last night Anderson and Wakeman from yes.A blend of old and new music with some good comedy moments thrown in in all a very very good concert in a small venue just guitar and piano and Johns voice which is still as good as it was in 1970s. It was like they were in your front room. Tonight i am going to see John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and Chicken Shack with Stan Webb.regards munch

Blues at its best two great bands what a night munch

A touch of the Nordics, last night Solveig Slettahjell Slow Motion Quintet and tonight the Esbjorn Svenson Trio (E.S.T), both excellent.

Went to see the Gypsy Kings in Belfast ,Couldn't concentrate on the music because of all the salsa dancers in front of the stage ,my wife said it must remind them of their Spanish holidays

Calexico 31/10/06

The Sage Gatehead

Front row seats - by pure luck.

Signed set list

Awesome - better live than on the CDI!

Just got in from Badly Drawn Boy at Cambridge Junction. Played with real authority, and not a 'greatest hits' show! And also his usual high level of wit and banter. Particularly enjoyed the 'unplugged' element - stripped down versions with BDB and piano or acoustic only.

Having first seen him at the same venue before he won the Mercury prize and became famous, it was really good to see how he has grown in musical stature.

James

Jonny Lang - October 30th, Mobile, AL

Sanger Theater - 1174 Seats

Great acoustics, Great Show

Larry

Tonight or for you in the USA tonite Cee.Lo if you have got the Santana Supernatural cd or dvd he is now Gnarls Barkley with my daughter good gig but i wish i had been there to see WEST HAM do the Arsenal.regards munch

Last night, took no. 1 daughter with me to Gomez at the Junction, Cambridge.

It's not the easiest of venues acoustically, or visually, but we managed to find a reasonable vantage point.


Gomez live (though not last night's gig)

Preamble (yawn). I have experienced Gomez live a number of times across their career, and always rated them as a superb live band, much better than in the studio. In this they follow in a noble tradition.

The last time they played in Cambridge was at the much bigger Corn Exchange, the 'In Our Gun' tour (with a wonderful surprise guest appearance of Danny Thompson who had palyed d.bass on the title track of the studio album - as he is one of my heroes, that will stay with me always).

But from their endless touring around the US college and small venue circuit, it is apparent that this is the environment in which they thrive.

The last time I saw them was at Norwich UEA, and again they turned in a wonderful performance, let down only by the fact they were pushing their - IMO rather weak - then current album 'Split the Difference'.

So, back to last night...

What a performance! I could just tell it was going to be good when they started off not with 'Miles Away', but the superb 'California'.

As well as most of the new album, 'How We Operate', cleverly programmed into the evening, there was a tremendous tour through what some might consider to be 'supporting tracks' from the previous albums (except, I am pleased to say, the previous 'Split the Difference'), the framework on which the 'hits' are hung, as well as some of those great singalongs, like 'Get Myself Arrested' and of course 'Whippin Piccadilly' to round off the evening.

Live, I have always thought that in many ways Gomez are the 'Britpop Grateful Dead' - a clumsy expression, I know. But with the imaginative extensions and improvisations to their songs, and some noodling here and there, and a great rapport with the audience, there are so many points of similarity.

Having feared, previously, that Gomez were becoming a spent force, I am delighted to say that, last night, certainly, they reestablished themselves! Even my daughter, who had been a bit ambivolent about them, was converted to the Gomez cause!

(Can you tell I enjoyed it?!!)

James

Saw Deeply Purple at a local rugby club. A pretty good copy of DP. A weak link for me was the singer a bit too "screamy" but overall V Good.My mate said the guitarist would be better if like the rest of the band ha had shoulder length hair (intead of a crop) the band would look more authentic.

Howard

I saw Tool, last night at the MEN (manchester). The sound was pretty good (for the MEN)and what a performance!! Amazing visuals great set and exemplary musicianship. Danny Carey has to be considered te best drummer in the world with his use of tabla and trad rhythms. They are not your normal rock/metal band!!

Ryan

Spiers and Boden at the Bournemouth Folk Club on Sunday evening.

Traditional English folk on Fiddle, Melodeon and vocals, nice small venue, Ringwood Best on supply and £10 for the evening. Well worth checking out, as is their 10-piece incarnation, Bellowhead.

Support provided by a couple of young ladies, the Askew Sisters and a great evening was had by all.

Steve.

New folk night at Hornsey Library (in Crouch End) North London
Tuesday 28/11/06. Worthwhile spending of ones
taxes.

Stunning performance by Bev Lee Harling on electric piano, fiddle and vocals.
http://www.myspace.com/bevleeharling
Rousing vocal performance by Eva Abraham.
http://www.myspace.com/evaabraham

http://www.myspace.com/mbtbhornsey

Bit of a change of pace this evening, Primal Scream in Southampton. Having seen them at the same venue about three years ago I was really looking forward to this... and what a disappointment. Can't remember the last time I went to a concert as bad as this.

For the first 55 minutes we got turgid sub-Stones rock that even the support act to a second-rate tribute band should be ashamed of. Even Jailbird was barely recognisable, they were playing and singing like they just couldn't be arsed. The 15 minutes of brilliance - Swastika Eyes, Riot City Blues and finally Rocks to finish the main part of the set.

The encore (after as much shouting and whistling as there was applause and shouts for more) fell somewhere between the two. Possibly the most telling aspect was the amount of empty space despite this supposedly being a sell-out gig.

To make matters worse, the sound was dire. It's not the easiest venue for acoustics with a lot of reflection from the walls, but they brought along a huge pile of sound gear in order to make things even worse.

Steve

quote:

but they brought along a huge pile of sound gear in order to make things even worse.

Why don't these people use a guy on the sound desks that can hear? They over power the rooms. It happened at Wembly with Rush.I'm sure if they backed of the volume a little it would sound so much better.

Went to see The Human League @ Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea on Tuesday [28th Nov] and I've got to say it was great fun....

I know synthesisers aren't as visceral as 'proper instruments', but they performed like they meant it.



Dave

Imoge Heap at the Roundhouse. Wonderful, even better than my high expectations. This girl will be a star.
Supported by Arve Henriksen who was also very interesting. Bought his album and haven't regreted it.

Last night, Royal Albert Hall. Jools Holland and his band. Fantastic night. He had Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Lulu as vocalists. Lulu was ensational. Looked fantastic and has amazing stage charisma. She finished with "Shout" which was the ultimate karaoke moment!
The drummer Gilson lavis, brought the evening to a thundering finale with a magnificent drum solo.
Whatever you think of Jools as a person, he does know how to put on a great gig and I think the RAH really brings out the best in him.

George Michael - NEC - last night.

rather good indeed...

Paul Simon - NEC - 3 weeks or so ago.

Also rather good but in an obviously differant way...

i went to see DEICHKIND from hamburg last friday on a private gig (for 500 people!).
surprise surprise - it was a sophisticated electro/punk/hip hop thing - quite amazing live. they have an incredible dj with them - phono. he was really playing interesting beats.

the night went long so couldn't go to the "bugz in the attic" gig the next evening.

regards, bf.